Bring the Tassel Trend to Your Tabletop with This Easy, 4-Step DIY from David Stark

If you haven’t caught onto the tassel trend yet, now is the perfect time. This super-easy (and inexpensive) D.I.Y. project from Brooklyn-based event planner David Stark (whose clients include Brad Pitt, Glenn Close, and Mariska Hargitay, among many, many many other tastemakers) is a festive way to dress up your table setting for your Fourth of July bash. Here, Stark takes a few skins of embroidery thread (available at any craft store for about 50 cents a pop), along with a few other household essentials (scissors and an embroidery needle), to jazz up a set of simple white linen napkins that most pantries are already well-stocked with. You can even apply this tutorial for any occasion to embellish any solid or patterned textile, including tablecloths and runners. Or, if you foresee yourself incorporating this look often, sew or glue them to napkin rings. The best part? The project only takes minutes to complete, even if you’re not a crafting extraordinaire.

Find out how to create the look below.

Courtesy David Stark Design

Tools and Supplies

White cloth napkins

Skeins of embroidery floss in red, white, and blue. (Embroidery floss is available all over – any arts and crafts
store, online, even some drug stores or dollar stores. We found 36 skeins for $5 at joann.com.)

Scissors

Embroidery needle

Directions

Courtesy David Stark Design

Step 1:

Without unraveling the skein, carefully pull and cut off about 36” from each skein. From that 36” piece, cut two 8” lengths. Use the two 8” lengths to tie around the loops at each end of the skein, make a double knot to keep it secure. Do not trim the excess, you’ll use this later.

Cut the remainder of your loose thread (the rest of the 36” piece) in half. Use each piece to wrap around the whole skein about 1⁄2 inch from each end. Leave yourself tails to tie together; double knot these as well. Next, cut the skein in half. Its okay if you need to trim a second time to even out the threads.

Courtesy David Stark Design

Step 3:

Make as many tassels as you need! Remember, you get two tassels for every skein of embroidery floss. We did one of each color tassel on one corner of our napkins. Finally, use your needle to sew and tie the tassels to your napkins, trim off any excess string.

If you’d like to fold your napkin like we did, place the napkin face down with your tassel at the bottom. First, fold the napkin in half to make a triangle. Next, fold each point down to meet in the middle. Then, fold the top point down and the two sides to meet in the middle again. Flip the napkin over and you’re done!